PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) Shares Sold by Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc.

Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc. cut its stake in PepsiCo, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEP) by 36.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 809 shares of the company’s stock after selling 469 shares during the period. Newbridge Financial Services Group Inc.’s holdings in PepsiCo were worth $137,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA increased its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 80.5% during the fourth quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA now owns 157 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 70 shares during the period. Fortis Group Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of PepsiCo by 100.0% during the fourth quarter. Fortis Group Advisors LLC now owns 194 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Life Planning Partners Inc acquired a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the fourth quarter valued at $34,000. Naples Money Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the fourth quarter valued at $36,000. Finally, Criterion Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of PepsiCo during the fourth quarter valued at $39,000. 73.07% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

PepsiCo Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of NASDAQ PEP opened at $166.48 on Wednesday. PepsiCo, Inc. has a one year low of $155.83 and a one year high of $192.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $228.88 billion, a PE ratio of 25.03, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.52. The company has a current ratio of 0.86, a quick ratio of 0.68 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.96. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $173.81 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $170.39.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 23rd. The company reported $1.61 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.52 by $0.09. PepsiCo had a return on equity of 57.37% and a net margin of 10.00%. The firm had revenue of $18.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.08 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.50 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that PepsiCo, Inc. will post 8.16 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PepsiCo Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 7th will be issued a dividend of $1.355 per share. This represents a $5.42 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.26%. This is a positive change from PepsiCo’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.27. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 7th. PepsiCo’s payout ratio is currently 81.50%.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Ramkumar Krishnan sold 5,620 shares of PepsiCo stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.00, for a total transaction of $1,000,360.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 53,953 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,603,634. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 0.14% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on PepsiCo from $178.00 to $181.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, April 24th. Barclays lowered their target price on PepsiCo from $185.00 to $180.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, June 12th. Wedbush reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $195.00 target price on shares of PepsiCo in a report on Tuesday, April 23rd. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on PepsiCo from $209.00 to $211.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, May 16th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised PepsiCo from an “equal weight” rating to an “overweight” rating and set a $190.00 target price on the stock in a report on Monday, March 18th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $187.17.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo, Inc engages in the manufacture, marketing, distribution, and sale of various beverages and convenient foods worldwide. The company operates through seven segments: Frito-Lay North America; Quaker Foods North America; PepsiCo Beverages North America; Latin America; Europe; Africa, Middle East and South Asia; and Asia Pacific, Australia and New Zealand and China Region.